Chapter 2: Train Journey

Point of View: Christopher RooseveltLondon was everything I thought it would be: a truly magical city with beautiful architecture that blended the old and the modern in a fascinating way. The streets, full of life, were a reflection of centuries of history. As chaotic as urban life was, there was an intrinsic order behind it all.In truth, the whole world became more beautiful once I started traveling through it. When you're not successful, things are much more depressing and complicated. As a freelance banker, the freedom to have clients anywhere in the world—and, of course, the excuse to travel—was a privilege of the profession. London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Seoul... One of the perks of being Brazilian is having one of the best passports in the world.I was at London St. Pancras station, a true architectural marvel. The curved iron beams of the ceiling seemed to dance as natural light poured through the glass windows, creating hypnotic patterns on the polished marble floor. The place was bustling.Muffled shouts, hurried laughter, people with heavy luggage and distracted looks. It was crowded, but at the same time, there was a strange harmony in the crowd, as if everyone moved in a rehearsed choreography. In the background, a violinist played a sweet and melancholic version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," echoing through the station, blending with the sounds of train traffic and distant conversations.I was on my way to Cambridge, my next tourist destination. It was rush hour, and as I observed the people around me, something caught my attention on my left: a commotion. Desperate screams pierced the air, but still, my instinct was not to get involved.I wasn't there to get into trouble. My English was far from perfect, and getting involved in something in a foreign land wasn't part of my plan. However, one phrase reverberated in my mind: "Thief! Catch the thief!"The crowd around me began to stir, but something inside me kept me rooted in place. This wasn't my problem. The station continued to be filled with the sound of a train to my right, the mechanical noise of the tracks mingling with the screech of brakes. But suddenly, the reality around me distorted.The commotion seemed distant, the sounds became muffled, and for a moment, all I could hear was the hum of something immense approaching. Suddenly, someone bumped into me so hard that I almost lost my balance. I stumbled forward, unable to steady myself.And then, the light… It was intense and blinding, as if the sun itself had decided to descend to Earth. In an instant, the light shone so brightly that it enveloped me, and then… everything went black. The world around me disappeared."Young hero, your wish will be granted: a magical world with magic and swords," echoed a voice in the darkness, deep and distant. But that wish was old, something I had ten years ago when I was lost in life, directionless in my early twenties.I wanted adventures, a world with magic, with swords. Now, what I desired was something completely different: a comfortable life, filled with wealth, far from any suffering. Unfortunately, I couldn't verbalize that. I was simply floating, weightless, directionless, in absolute emptiness.My mind was confused, and a searing pain began to emerge in my head. Could the train… have crushed me? An irrational thought crossed my mind: people were run over by trucks and transported to other worlds, not by trains.As time dragged on, my head began to throb more intensely. Something started to weigh on my back, and a strange sensation spread through my body. Something pointy touched my fingers, but at the same time, it felt soft.The air around me became fresh, and the scent of pure air, like that of a forest, filled my lungs. It was as if I were walking near a forest or park, yet I could see nothing around me. A soft breeze brushed my skin, bringing unexpected relief.With my head still throbbing, I finally opened my eyes. A clearing revealed itself before me. The trees around me were tall and imposing, their leaves covering the sky like a thick mantle, leaving only small cracks of light to pass through to the ground below.I was lying in a small clearing, about three square meters, surrounded by a dense forest that seemed to vibrate with life. The ground, covered by a thin layer of moss, was slightly damp, and the smell of wet earth mixed with the fresh air. The leaves, vibrant in color, swayed gently in the wind. The sound of distant birds and the rustling of trees were the only noises breaking the absolute silence."Why the hell am I naked?" I murmured, feeling a deep ache in my lungs. "Living beings get transported to another world, but clothes don't?" Even with the mental confusion, the discomfort of being naked brought me back to reality.With great effort, I lifted the upper part of my body, propping myself up on my elbows. My stomach growled loudly, making it clear that the hunger I felt was immense. With the pain in my head slowly subsiding, I began to observe more closely what was around me.The forest seemed denser and more mysterious than anything I had ever seen on any trip. The trees weren't ordinary. Some of them seemed to emit a soft glow, as if they had a life of their own. The air was charged with a peculiar humidity that touched my skin gently, as if every breath I took was imbued with an invisible magical energy.I was in a completely different world, but part of me couldn't help finding it strange that everything was so… simple. I should have been in a castle, with a new purpose in a magical land full of fantastical creatures, not in some random clearing in an apparently wild world."As funny as it might be to think about playing Tarzan, shouldn't I have been transported to a castle or something?" I thought, trying to make sense of everything that was happening.